Jennifer LaGrand’s finally ready for two to become one

Jennifer LaGrand will walk down the aisle for the first time in a few weeks.

She’s been engaged since last fall, but the wedding is a long time coming.

She is 47 years old and has known her fiancé, Kevin Williams, for nearly 20 years.

They have a 16-year-old son together, Kevin Jr.

“We had to figure out what we wanted, went our separate ways, and ended up back together,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer was born in Battle Creek and grew up on Manchester Street in a deeply religious family with seven brothers and sisters.

Her mother is 83-year-old Nina LaGrand, who is a co-founder of Bridges to Cultural Understanding, a grassroots organization in Battle Creek that seeks to bring people together from different cultural and economic backgrounds.

Her father, the late John LaGrand, was the assistant chief of the laboratory at Leila Hospital, and well-known in the community. A former marine corporal, he was a hardworking man who was strict with his children.

The LaGrands didn’t believe in divorce, which is one reason Jennifer was so hesitant to marry.

“We were raised with values and morals,” she said. “We don’t sleep around; we don’t go from this guy to that guy. My parents told us that ever since we were kids. You get married – that’s what you do. You do the right thing.”

She met Kevin two decades ago. He remembers their first meeting at a downtown Battle Creek bar called The Jungle. She says the first time she laid eyes on him was at a wedding where Kevin, a professional musician, was playing.

Despite having a child together and loving one another for several years, they both had to figure out what they wanted before they could make a lifelong commitment.

“We’ve been through our ups and downs. We had the good, the bad and the ugly, but at the end of the day, it all became the good,” she said.

When Kevin moved to Dallas for work last year, Jennifer says the distance between them became unbearable. After years of Kevin’s proposals, she finally decided to set a wedding date.

“I think I just had an issue with trust, and needed to figure out if I wanted to take a risk,” she said. “We did pre-marital counseling. It was very helpful.”

Family members from all over the country – Alabama, Texas, California, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas – will come together at Second Missionary Baptist Church to celebrate this long-awaited event on Sept. 5, with seven bridesmaids, seven groomsmen, three ushers, a flower girl and a ring-bearer. But the person most looking forward to this wedding may well be their son, Kevin Jr., who will be Kevin Sr.’s best man.

“This is a moment for him,” said Jennifer. “How many 16-year-old kids get to witness the wedding of their parents?”

As a single mom to Kevin Jr., Jennifer said she has always put her son first. She could never bring herself to get seriously involved with anyone but his father.

“Besides the fact that I really loved Kevin Sr.,” said Jennifer, “I didn’t want my son to be under someone else’s reign who wasn’t his dad. It wouldn’t have been fair to him.”

Thinking of others comes naturally to Jennifer. She has chosen jobs in which she has an integral role in assisting people in need.

She’s currently a retention coach for Battle Creek EDGE (Essential Skills Demanded by Great Employers), a workforce development program that helps low-income residents of Battle Creek build the skills they need to get and maintain jobs that will help them become financially stable.

“I have passion for helping people,” she said. “My son says, ‘Mom, you can’t save the world.’ I know that, but if I can just help one person, I know my effort won’t be in vain.”

Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Siena Heights University in 2012, but her dream is to help people using her fashion sense. She’s known for her smart, creative ensembles that flatter her tall, thin physique. She’d like to start a fashion consulting business to help others feel more confident in what they wear.

“I have never found it difficult to dress, but some people really struggle with it,” she said.

Her business is registered with the name “An Eye for Fashion,” but Jennifer is still working on getting it off the ground. She’s adamant, however, that she’s not the fashion police.

“I see a lot of women who are hurting because they lack confidence,” she said. “They make great clothes for people of all sizes. There is something out there for everyone. All people need is a little confidence.”

She describes her style as a little trendy with a little bit of classic Jackie O. She doesn’t get her clothes at expensive stores, though.

“Growing up in a house of eight children, we had hand-me-downs ,” she said. “I just learned to put together whatever my sisters didn’t want and made it look better. That’s where I got my fashion sense.”

She also was influenced by her mother’s taste in clothes.

“My mom had to sacrifice as a stay-at-home mother to eight children,” she said. “But sometimes she used to shop at a boutique in Battle Creek called Bertine’s. I can remember watching her try on the most beautiful garments.”

Her sense of style will be front-and-center when she marries her longtime love in September. Her family calls it the “wedding of the century,” because it took so long to finally happen. She’s ready for them to begin their life together.

“I’m excited for us to become a family, even though I already knew what our family looked like,” said Jennifer. “My mom still talks about the love and joy she had with my dad. I’m ready for the two of us to become one.”